-Devotion by Philip Kirkpatrick (MN & MI)
In Ephesians 4, the second half of the chapter is entitled “The Christian’s Walk,” and it lays down some guidelines for us. There’s enough there to pull from that you could spend days just going through every sentence and applying it to your life. But there isn’t enough time for that now, so I’ll just focus on one section. Verses 26 and 27 read,
“Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.”
Anger can be a sore subject for many; it can lead to decisions and actions that cause divisions between people. That can be even more of an issue in the church itself. Yet the verse here highlights an aspect that can always be kept in mind: anger can lead to those actions, but it is not a direct indication that they will happen. I’m not a psychologist and won’t pretend to be an expert, but anger is a mental reaction to something unpleasant happening, but it is not external.
Healthy expression of anger is something we all can struggle with and it is the unhealthy expression of anger that this verse warns us against. Everyone has different methods that work well for them. In the end, though, we must all work to not let the anger drive us to sin. To not let it lead us to those actions that would harm others. A task easier said than done.
There is another part here to discuss as well, not letting the sun go down on your anger. This is not saying that you must get all anger out of your system before the sun goes down every day, but rather advising us not to hold on to our anger. Sometimes it might be easier to let anger sink somewhere where you can’t see it rather than address the cause of that anger. But we mustn’t let this be the case; you’re not resolving the issue, just pushing it off and potentially making it worse. Not that I’m saying you should hash it all the way out right away, that is situational, and if you’re not sure, asking someone wise who is disconnected from the situation can be useful.
Letting anger rule your actions is hazardous to you and everyone around you. Don’t let it lead you into sin, into those terrible situations. Today, I pray you can watch for the next time that anger might come about and not let it lead to sin, and resolve the conflict in a way that doesn’t leave the anger to fester.
Discussion Questions
At what times in your day do you often see your anger taking hold and leading to bad decisions?
Is there a recent time you might have gotten angry at someone? How could you go about letting that anger go?
What does the Bible teach us about God’s anger? In what ways could you work towards handling your anger in a godly manner?
Prayer
Dear God, I praise You for Your righteousness and love. Thank You for being a God who is slow to anger. Help me to learn from You, Your Son, and the words You have given in Your Word. Help me to be more patient with people and situations and when my anger does rise, help me to deal with it well, in healthy ways that do not lead to sin. In my anger and in my life help me stand strong against the devil and his schemes. In Your victorious Son’s name I pray. Amen
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